More about Indonesian horror Suzzanna: Empress of Darkness below. But first ...
In preparation for my recent Jimmy Sangster retrospective interview with Severin’s David Gregory and noted Hammer expert Marcus Hearn, Severin was kind enough to pass along links for their new Sangster Directs Hammer 4K box set.
I was very impressed, but even then I had no idea how gorgeous this thing would be. The day it arrived was a happy one indeed.
The hardshell clam box features gorgeous art, and each of the three films in the set gets a unique slipcover and another unique sleeve. That is a lot of art. Those looking for original poster art packaging might be a little disappointed, but I doubt it.
Another major plus here is Horror! Lust! Fear! Sangster!, a 300-plus page perfect-bound lavishly illustrated book of 22 essays, interviews, photos and a brief comic adaptation of Lust for a Vampire. The book alone constitutes a must-buy and features the writings of Ramsey Campbell, Dennis Meikle, Kat Ellinger, Chris Alexander, Bruce G. Hallenbeck, David Gregory, Jimmy Sangster himself, and a host of others.
Moving on to the films themselves, The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), Lust for a Vampire (1970) and Fear in the Night (1972), viewers will find seven discs with more than 18 hours of commentaries, interviews, video and audio essays. The set also contains a truly excellent and insightful feature length documentary by Marcus Hearn titled Hammer and Beyond: The Jimmy Sangster Legacy, which puts the man and his extensive work in film and television in context.
Hammer fans have been pretty spoiled of late, what with Hammer itself releasing multi-disc ultra deluxe box sets of Horror of Dracula (1958), Curse of Frankenstein (1957), the first two Quartermass films and Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1974). Sangster Directs Hammer will further spoil them rotten. This is a box set any fan will be proud to put on the shelf.
I was fortunate to have a a conversation with David Gregory and Marcus Hearn about the project, Sangsters career, and the reevaluation happening regarding his importance in the Hammer legacy. Link to that discussion is below.
THE HAMMER HORROR OMNIBUS (Titan Books)
As if Severin’s Sangster Box Set weren’t enough, Titan Books is also releasing The Horror Hammer Omnibus, which contains the original John Burke 1966 novelizations of The Gorgon (1964), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) and The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964). These novelizations come without illustration, but it hardly detracts from their charm. Included are a Foreword by screenwriter Stephen Gallagher and an Afterword by Ramsey Campbell.
Burke wrote a second omnibus, which was published in 1967, The Second Hammer Horror Film Omnibus (1967), containing novelizations of The Reptile (1966), Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966), Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966), and The Plague of Zombies (1966). Titan will also be reprinting that.
I hope so. This was a blast. The Gorgon was a seminal film for me and responsible for any number of night terrors, much to the chagrin of my parents. I’ve always felt it was a somewhat neglected film.
Curse of Frankenstein and Revenge of Frankenstein are told entirely from the point of view of Dr. Frankenstein, and one can almost hear Peter Cushing reading Burke's prose aloud. The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb is one of those titles I associate closely with the back pages of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine where everything a monster kid could want was available at a price. Books like The Curse of Quintana Roo and others promised the same sort of cheap pulpy thrills, utilizing the monsters and tropes that had turned FM into the monster kid bible. and The Hammer Horror Omnibus is no different.
A YEAR IN A FIELD (Severin)
The release of documentarian Christopher Morris’ film A Year in a Field (2023) might seem a curious choice for Severin if it weren't for their extensive work on the All Your Haunts Are Belong To Us folk horror box sets. After all, this is a film deeply rooted in a mystical appreciation of nature.
That isn’t to say that A Year in a Field is in any real way a horror film. But it does probe the mystery of how the passage of time, the constancy of nature and human perception work together to encourage meditation regarding so many things. Why do we humans see ourselves as fully separate from the rest of creation? From where does our societal boredom spring? Could it be that we have built a society around ignoring magic and moving too quickly to assign deep meaning to anything? How is it that a rather plain looking object at first glance, put in place 4000 years ago for purposes largely lost to time, has relevance for us today?
For one year, from Winter Solstice 2020 to Winter Solstice 2021, Morris documented the passage of time around a 4000 year old standing-stone in a field near his home, capturing the beauty and the evocative quality of a world that stands as a mute witness to climate change and the assault on a world lost to concrete, steel and cacophony in the service consumerism and “progress.”
If it sounds boring, shut that thought out immediately. Morris finds beauty and mystery and symbolism to spare over the film’s 89 minute runtime: “As I got closer and closer to the field, my view grew wider and wider, until finally, looking at the same small field, I began to see the universe.”
The Blu-ray disc contains an introduction by Morris, a conversation between Morris and producer Denzil Monk, and an interview with members of The Stone Club, Lally Macbeth and Matthew Shaw. There’s also a Q & A with The Philosophical Research Society. moderated by Will Sheff, two short films and a gorgeous thick hardshell box.
SUZZANNA: EMPRESS OF DARKNESS (Severin)
Indonesian horror has become much more visible in the US since a host of relatively recent Indonesian films, like Satan’s Slaves (2017), May the Devil Take You (2018), and Impetigore (2019) became widely available through streaming. But Indonesian horror isn’t a recent phenomena. It’s been a steadily growing sub genre since at least the 1960s.
Yet those older films have definitely been more difficult to access by American fans. What has been needed is some consistent attention paid to it’s historical context and impact. Severin’s box set, Suzzanna Empress of Darkness does exactly that, showcasing five films starring the undeniable queen of Indonesian horror, Suzzanna Martha Frederika van Osch, known by her huge home country fan base simply as Suzzanna.
Indonesian horror is instantly recognizable both in the way it draws on native folklore and legend, and national history. Its visual aesthetic often incorporates garish color imagery and highly stylized lighting resulting in an almost theatrical look. Its hyper-violent imagery can be described as over the top, yet a very real creepiness is present. You may be tempted to laugh at a floating decapitated head on a wire or what seem like overly broad metaphysical rules that govern many of these narratives but they are deadly serious in pursuing unease from viewers.
Included in this set are two films that feature Suzanna as her most famous character Sundelbolong, a vengeful spirit of a rape victim whose long black hair hides the maggot infested hole in her torso. Malam Satu Suro (1988) and Kliwon Friday Night (1986) are both directed by Satan’s Slave (1980) helmer Sisworo Gautama Putra. Also included are White Crocodile Queen (1988), Pact with the Forces of Darkness (1991) and Suzzanna's last film, Ghost Ambulance (2008).
The feature-length documentary Suzzanna The Queen of Black Magic begs the question exactly how Severin head and filmmaker David Gregory keeps producing such work. He manages to take viewers into the complicated and eventful personal history of Suzzanna, without fully demystifying her. She emerges as someone graced by and cursed by celebrity, certainly as one of the most important Indonesian film stars ever. The documentary also manages to cover the more controversial aspects of her life career with all the grace and elan Gregory is known for.
Another extra on the set, Hantu Retribution: Female Ghosts of the Malay Archipeligo features an interview with filmmaker Katrina Irawati Graham and Dr. Rosalind Galt, author of Alluring Monsters: The Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization. Taken together with the documentary, the set provides a rich look at the history, social context and continued evolution of one of the horror genres most fascinating strains.
THE CROW: THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY (Titan Books)
The Crow (1994) is one of those films that people inevitably argue about. Siskel and Ebert vehemently squabbled about it. Siskel felt it was merely a revenge fantasy with a few slick elements that made it visually interesting. Ebert understood it to be a comic book come to life perfectly capturing the dynamic spirit and compared it to Tim Burton’s Batman (1979).
I’m with Roger. But I’ll go him one better. The Crow is woefully underrated. It is visually spectacular, atmospherically absorbing, and a vehicle for unforgettable performances from an outstanding cast. It also has one of the best soundtracks of its decade. I’ve long wanted to get my hands on a book that went behind the scenes of it. This is a worthy effort.
Even at 192 pages, I couldn’t help but wish it were bigger. This is due both to the large coffee-table format and how great the art and stills look in it but it’s also a nod to the research of Jeff Bond, who does an excellent overview of a groundbreaking comic, and the history of a troubled film franchise. The sheer amount of art showcased in this thing makes it a must buy for Crow fans.
It’s really the best job anyone has done on the subject. Yes, Brandon Lee’s death and the decision to continue on with the film is covered but Bond doesn’t lose sight of the complex history he’s dealing with. That’s really the problem with this project overall. The Crow just presents too many interesting angles to have justice done to it in a single volume.
Why The Crow continues to be given the short shrift in the history of non-superhero adaptations is a mystery to me. It’s a grand, even operatic revenge fantasy that also does a good job of asking what the difference is between vengeance and justice. The book comes with a handsome slipcover but if you choose to display it without the design of the bare cover, it is just as evocative.
CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN Blu-ray and Book (Severin)
The documentary Children of the Wicker Man (2024) and its marvelous companion book Children of the Wicker Man puts the historical context of Robin Hardy’s influential masterpiece in a different place than fans of the film might expect. Created by his sons, art historian Dominic and filmmaker Justin Hardy, these projects detail the problematic effect Robin Hardy’s career and The Wicker Man (1973) itself had on their respective families.
What emerges is a poignant story of two men coming to grips with a family legacy and arriving at a place of rare equanimity, able to find some peace, and more fully embrace their father. Fans are likely to walk away with a much deeper appreciation of and insight into what has been called one of the most important horror films ever made.
I simply cannot recommend these enough. I would call them must-own companion pieces for those deeply interested in the film or folk horror in general.
Sadly, this review comes as news of Justin Hardy’s untimely passing hits the public. All condolences to his brother Dominic and the Hardy families as they sort through yet another complex and difficult part of their journey. I was fortunate to have the chance to speak at length with Dominic about Children of the Wicker Man and the spirituality of creativity
For my interview with Dominic about these projects, see the link below.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE OFFICIAL STORY OF THE FILM (Titan Books)
It’s hard to imagine a serious fan of Night of the Living Dead (1968) or student of George Romero who wouldn’t want Simon Braund's gorgeous, oversized history sitting on their shelf. At 13 plus inches tall and 10 plus inches wide. it’s big enough to showcase a graveyard of 192 pages of production history anecdotes and never before seen on-set photos, offering a marvelously detailed look at the genesis of production and the initial release of one of the most important horror films ever made. Braund also provides insight into the film's social commentary and movement from controversy to icon status.
In a short while, Night of the Living Dead will be 60 years old.That won’t mean much to casual horror movie consumers. But for die-hard fans, it will be yet another reminder that time, like zombies, may pass so slowly that you can always count on it to bite you on the ass. It’s surprising to me that a book of this type and quality hasn’t been published before. Night of the Living Dead is one of the most written-about films in film history and its relevance has only increased over time.
I do wish the book had spent more time examining the culture that has built up around Romero’s seminal zombie vision. A short chapter entitled "Legacy" discusses what happened to the rights of the franchise and lists the Romero zombie films done after NOTLD, but it could have been longer. It’s a scant criticism. Go out and get this book. Titan has also published a movie novelization by Night of the Living Dead producer and cast member John Russo.